Menu
BAD Sydney Crime Writers Festival is an independent not-for-profit annual event that explores what crime can tell us about human beings. Speakers include writers, journalists, academics, podcasters, broadcasters and film-makers, as well as professionals from the justice system such as detectives, judges, lawyers, psychologists and forensic scientists.
CHAIR
Sue Turnbull is Senior Professor of Communication and Media at the University of Wollongong. She has been reviewing crime fiction for The Sydney Morning Herald and the Age for over twenty years.
She has been a crime fiction judge for the Ned Kelly Awards, the Davitt Awards and is an Ambassador for Sisters in Crime Australia. Her academic publications include The TV Crime Drama (Edinburgh University Press 2014) and Media Audiences (Palgrave Macmillan 2020).
Artistic Director
After a career in educational publishing, Catherine is now a teacher and facilitator at writers’ festivals and literary events. She co-founded the St Albans Writers’ Festival in 2015 and was its Artistic Director from 2015 to 2018. Catherine is Director of the Rose Scott Women Writers’ Festival at the Women’s Club and a Judge of the annual Ned Kelly Awards.
She has been Artistic Director of BAD Sydney since 2019.
BOARD MEMBER
SUZANNE LEAL is the author of novels Running with Ivan, The Teacher’s Secret and The Deceptions, for which she won the Nib People’s Choice Prize and was shortlisted for the Davitt Awards and the Mark and Evette Moran Nib Literary Award. Suzanne began her legal career as a criminal lawyer and is now a senior member of the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
An experienced facilitator and host at community, corporate and literary events, Suzanne is the founder of Thursday Book Club, a relaxed, friendly book club connecting readers online.
Suzanne’s new novel, The Watchful Wife, will be released in July. www.suzanneleal.com
BOARD MEMBER
Mike Field is a strategic marketing professional with extensive experience in non-for-profit sector, media, associations and arts institutions. Joining the BAD Board is his first attempt to profit from crime.
BOARD MEMBER
MICHAEL BURGE is an author and journalist who lives at Deepwater in the New England region. His debut novel Tank Water, a coming-of-age crime thriller set in the bush, was released by MidnightSun Publishing. His non-fiction debut Questionable Deeds: Making a stand for equal love lifted the lid on familial, institutional and government homophobia in Australia. An essay, ‘Backwards to Bourke: Bulldust about gays in the bush’ was published internationally in the Journal of Australian Studies.
Passionate about keeping rural and regional communities in the national conversation, Michael has written extensively on the NSW Special Commission of Inquiry into LGBTIQ+ Hate Crimes for the Guardian with a focus on country cases. He has edited and written for Fairfax Media, Australian Community Media, Intermedia, United News & Media UK and News Corporation.
A graduate of the National Institute of Dramatic Art, Michael is an experienced event facilitator. He founded High Country Books, a literary hub in Glen Innes in northern inland NSW which connects visiting and local authors with readers and writers.
BOARD MEMBER
Warwick is a Partner in the professional services firm KPMG where he has worked for more than 30 years, specialising in external audit and related services. He has extensive governance experience with not-for-profit organisations through his audit and advisory roles and he has also served on many boards and committees.
He is currently Deputy Chancellor of the University of Wollongong and a Director of Merrigong Theatre Company (Illawarra Performing Arts Centre).
Warwick is an avid reader and listener to audiobooks, and he particularly loves crime fiction.
FOUNDER
Michael writes the Bella Greaves series of crime novels set in the Blue Mountains, where he lives. He is a public servant and a founder of the BAD Sydney Crime Writers Festival.
FOUNDER
Denis Tracey is a former academic and author of two books on family-owned business and philanthropy. He is a co-founder of BAD Sydney. Now semi-retired he spends a lot of his time travelling and reading crime stories.
Subscribe for the latest news and information about all BAD events and Festivals.